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Pensioners face abuse from football fans in Whitefield street

POLICE are to investigate reports of bad parking and abusive language affecting residents in a Whitefield street.

Cllr Alan Matthews said he had received several complaints from people in Mersey Close, which is next to the playing fields used by Unsworth Football Club.

Children of all ages play football every Saturday on the fields, which are near to bungalows.

At the Whitefield and Unsworth Township Forum meeting last week, Cllr Matthews said elderly people who live in the bungalows have been unable to leave their homes due to cars being parked against their fences.

When residents have asked those resp-onsible to move their cars to allow them to get out, they have been abused and even physically threatened.

Cllr Matthews said: “The parents of these children seem to think it’s all right to block people in their homes.

“It’s the abuse of these people that I’m particularly worried about. One person was physically threatened: the language was terrible.

According to Cllr Matthews, drivers have also been parking on double yellow lines on the street.

Inspector Mark Kenny said he will investigate the matter, describing the alleged behaviour as ‘unaccepable’.

After the meeting, Cllr Matthews added: “I’m concerned about the language being used with children about — it’s not nice.

“We have all got to live together. Old people shouldn’t have to have a struggle every Saturday morning. It doesn’t seem right to me that people have to put up with it.”

Cllr Matthews said he was assured there would be a police presence in the street in the future.